A Jesus filled life makes the Best Life

I love Luke Chapter 10, and I especially love the story at the end of the chapter. Do you ever read a passage in the Bible and feel like it was a story intended for your. I enjoy walking away from a passage of scripture and feeling challenged yet refreshed. Luke 10:38-40 makes me feel that way.

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”

If you have been around the Bible for any period of time, you have probably read this story. No doubt you have heard of it. It is the story of Mary and Martha. Most people identify with Martha. Jesus comes to town; he visits the home of these two women. Martha is busy in the kitchen making dinner for Jesus and the guests while Mary sits at Jesus’ feet. Martha becomes angry that she is busy working and Mary is not doing her part to help. You sort of get the feeling of a child telling on their other sibling, when Martha approaches Jesus with her complaint.

What I find striking about the situation, is the way in which Jesus chooses to respond. What I would expect Jesus to do would be to go over to Mary and say, “Do you not know how important I am, you need to get up and help your sister make this meal for me.” However that is not what Jesus does. Instead he looks at Martha and says you need to stop. His exact words are in verse 41-42. But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

This is incredible. I always find myself thinking that in order to make my situation better, I need to get busier when in fact Jesus suggests the exact opposite. He says we need to stop living a busy life and be concerned with a Jesus filled life.

If you think about it on a larger level, religion teaches a Martha life but Mary teaches a relationship life. Life is not about doing good deeds; life is about you taking time to enjoy your relationship with Jesus. May we never forget to stop in our busy lives and be filled with Jesus.

Do you know why we start feeling burned out on life? We feel burned when we get busy and our joy runs dry. Martha began complaining to Jesus because her joy had run dry. She was so busy thinking about what she needed to do for Jesus she forgot she simply needed Jesus.

On the other side of that coin, we can think about verses that teach us to serve others because of our love for Jesus. Jesus says in Matthew 25:30 “What you have done to the least of these, you have done to me.” This means the best way I can love Jesus, is by loving others for Jesus. Jesus isn’t physically beside me right now, but to show my love for Him I love others. This means we choose to do good deeds out of an outpouring of our relationship with Christ. We have been loved by Him and therefore seek to love Him in return.

However, none of this is possible without first sitting at the feet of Jesus just like Mary. If you don’t take time to live a merry (Mary) life, you will be a Complainer (Martha). No Jesus= No Joy. Know Jesus= Know Joy. Don’t neglect the opportunity to sit at His feet. Being busy may make life better for a little while but eventually you will get burned out. Being next to Jesus will always make life fulfilling and joyful.